Have you ever looked at the Old Well at different times of the day, or in different seasons? Think about it in front of a sunrise on a cool Fall day, or the illumination of the structure by the moon in the middle of the night. The light, or lack thereof from the sun alters the focus, the Old Well, in spectacular ways. Recall the different settings in which you can find this beacon of the University, whether flooded by tourists, or overlooked by passerbys. These are the concepts that can be extracted from Claude Monet’s work on his Grainstacks paintings.
Gary Storm’s “Paradoxes: The Theme and Variations in the Visual Arts - False-color Cartography and the Grainstacks of Claude Monet” is a discussion of several concepts within the domain of art, as well as a discussion about how a painting done by the French artist Claude Monet fits in with these concepts. The article is long and delves into many art-specific topics, three of which I will focus on the most. Those being, his assertions about the Grainstacks paintings done by Monet in relation to themes and variations, pixels and brushstrokes, and philosophy. Storm maintains that the Grainstacks paintings, along with other works of art, try to depict truths about nature.
First, Storm describes a simple but vast idea, this being themes and variations. He expounds on this notion by explaining how artists use themes, or theses, to express one solid idea. Variants slightly modify and explore the original theme, while maintaining the original quality of that theme. Monet’s Grainstacks paintings were done over an extended period. He painted them during the four different seasons, and during different times of the day to express how light transforms the same object in different settings. In this example, the grainstacks are the theme and the light is the variant. The different lighting is a result of the four seasons and intervals during the day, which all slightly modify the main thesis, the grainstacks. This was not uncommon for the impressionist Monet to do--he often painted one scene with several different canvases, and over extended periods of time. Monet’s friend Gustave Geoffrey wrote the surfaces of the grainstacks are "transitory objects on which are reflected, as on a mirror, the influences of the surroundings, atmospheric conditions, random breezes, sudden bursts of light." Just as the grainstacks are modified by the light, so is the Old Well, when it is illuminated by the sun, the moon, and streetlights.
The second art-related abstraction has to do with pixels and brush strokes. Storm explains how zooming in on the Grainstacks piece, one may only notice thousands of tiny brush strokes, full of color, almost like pixels in a piece of photography. However, when zooming out, an individual sees one uniform, distinct scene. A theme, actually. The scene reveals grainstacks, sky, field, and countryside. This kind of abstraction can be noted in many other works. Even works that are not images, such as Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” because they vary in time, timbre, pitch, and how they are combined. In the same way, Monet’s brush strokes vary in color, size, texture, thickness, and how they are combined to form the bigger picture. Zoom in close on the Old Well and you will merely see white paint, creases in the columns, and a water fountain. Step back and look at it as a whole, and you have the heart of UNC.
The final concept is short and direct. It describes the philosophy behind Monet’s creation. This philosophy, or rather paradox, is so simple, Storm states, that it is almost superfluous to expound upon. This paradox being that the only true constant in the work, is change. The variations of the work serve to relay the differences in light and color due to varying times of day and times of the year. These changes can be from the force of nature, such as the weather cycle, or by the variations of perception, including direction and distance. Again, the only true constant we have to hold onto when viewing the Old Well, is that it is always in a different setting. Sometimes students flood it, all trying to drink from the fountain for that perfect GPA, sometimes it is empty with merely a bird resting on the water fountain. Sometimes it is bright and glowing on a clear day, sometimes it is hidden by the downpour of a Summer storm. The only constant, is change.
Storm evidently devoted a large sum of time to delve into every aspect of Monet’s paintings of the Grainstacks. He makes a claim that Monet’s Grainstacks paintings try to depict truths about nature. These truths being about change, perception, and consistencies. Storm’s thesis has external validity as we can see all of these concepts unfold in something we see often, the Old Well.
Storm, Gary. "Paradoxes: The Theme and Variations in the Visual Arts - False-color Cartography and the Grainstacks of Claude Monet." Mater Cult 40 2 (2008): 45-75. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
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